New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-04-17
VERSE OF THE DAY
ORIGINAL AND SELECTED,

ORIGINAL AND SELECTED,
DAFFoDlLs A. d 7. W. mrs. WHITNEY, 1emo pp'
1874 Houghton. Mifan Co.
IN DIVERS TONES By CHARLES 9. G. D. ROBERTS 10m0'
pp viii 1874 d. LOthrop d. co.
MADRIGALs AND CATCHEs BY FnA , p S,Sr1
| Allen.
BEDSIDE POETRY Parent As;isent n ns MS5si
I6mo pp. XIV, 143 d. Iothrop 4 Co.
GREAT HYMNS OF THE CHURCH. Compiled by the
late 1t Rev. JOHN FREEMAN YOUSG. .. T. d.. Bishop
OF Florida Royal svo PIP. XVII, 4SL james fo''
&Co
A collection of Mrs Whitneys pieces is pre-
sented in a pretty volume whose dress OF
white and golden yellow suggests spring, fresh air
and sunshine Her verses are full Of these things
She has delightful feeling for nature, with
deeper tone in it than we recognize IN our scores OF
| landscape poets and her sentiment Is always
wholesome and clear. In such poems as u Their
Angels" Imagination is welded to IN Irresistible
pathos selection of her pieces for children ex-
hibits her in walk which she has made especially
her own /; and the volume is pleasantly completed
by a number of personal tributes and occasional
poems.
The author of "In Divers Tones is professor OF
English literature in the University OF Kings
College Windsor, Nova Scotia. HIS verse often
has a strong local character. He Is
patriotic son of the Dominion who foresees
great future for his country and in the stirring
lines entitled Canada" he calls upon her TO wake
from sloth and dependence and front the world
alone. He delights in pictures OF the Nova Scotlan
shores he recalls vacation canoe voyages; no re-
hearses Indian legends. To such themes no always
brings a fresh spirit. His preferences, however.
are for the more general subjects OF poetry and he
has been strongly affected by the classical revival
rha nf m admirable
ESSAYS in blank veise which have musical move
ment felicity IN the choice and coupling OF words
and distinction of literary style. and In both these
are descriptive passages Of great beauty. Descrip-
tive power and clear polished. balanced style are
the most obvious merits of Mr.. Rob- SIS poems
Impulse is not strong in them and the two or three
fapciful light pieces printed at the end OF the
volume are not entirely successful
MIR. Frank Dempster sherman has not chosen
high stye of art, but such his work Ii he has
mastered it and we read his verses with all the
| satisfaction that can be got from an ex-
| celent technique guided by tact and
taste. He half describes himself IN his
Rhyme for Priscilla" that dainty creature who
doesn't care to carry her poetic taste too FAR"
whose fancy is bright who loves what Is light and
| fine in verse. Mr.. Sherman devotes himself to the
elaboration of what is light and fine; and OF all the
| American rhymsters who give their lives to such
|
agreeable. The attraction OF his little pieces IS
not quite easy to define; It is neither fancy, nor
| wit, nor play iulness. but mild sparkle which is
not equal to either and partakes of the quality Of
all three Perhaps there Is tendency Just now 10
| workmanship deserves recognition even when IL IL
| expended upon somewhat fimsy material
Mr.. Garrison had in mind, when he arranged the
little volume which he calls Bedside Poetry" the
rare opportunity for confirming dial affection and
| siren gthenng and sweetening the paternal influ-
ence which comes to fathers and mothers at the
close of the ohldrens day. 1t Is good plan to let
q short reading serve as prelude TO
slumber. For such evening exer-
else the present book has been compiled. The
editors intention to teach distinct moral lessons
and he furnishes IN ingenious key or index to the
virtues and faults exhibited In the poems 80 that
the parent may choose what is most appropriate to
the peccadiloes of the day, Moreover, he has made
1t point to select only good poetry believing that
the cultivation of the taste may we'll keep pace
with the improvements of morals, and that children
may easily learn to understand what at first
will perhaps be above them 1t Is surprising how
much that 10 suitable for his purpose he has found
among the serious poets. COwper furnishes great
deal, as might have been expected; so does Long
fellow; but one would hardly have looked for much
nursery poetry in CoieT,dgs ClS%gh Emerson ssn
made with singular good Judgment and the little
book will be source OF happiness In many homes
The collection of " Great Hymns Of the Church. v
left nearly finished by the late Bishop Young, and
now prepared for the press by the Rev. DR.. j. II.
Hopkins is O work Of importance not only to the
students Of hymnoogy but to all who are concerned
in the reform of even to some extent
Of Cathoc--church music. The sacred poetry
from which the Bishop made his choice comprises
the Greek and Latin hymns OF the ancient Church,
and the vast treasure OF German hymns in which
the pety Of centuries has found noble expression.
The first class includes Of course the most famous
| breviary hymDs. and many other pieces OF extreme
antiquity. The German selections are not invari'
ably old, but large proportion OF them belong 70
original texts Greek. Latin and Herman. are given
with an English version. the latter being taken for
wall. Miss Winkworth. Miss Cox, and various
wei: known collections body of nearly taree
hundred hymns set forth IN this manner
are moreover accompanied in every Case
by the music, 30 that the WORK may well be said 70
en- @ used to
extent barmonized and therefore necessarily some
what modornlzed, SO as TO DO avalia6le ior d.
gwen so lar as possible with their proper orig
mai tures The work Of musical adaptation has
who seems to have labored In the conscientious
spirit of musical antlQuary: 1t will be seen that
Bishop Youngs wish was TO direct the taste OF the
Church toward the oldest models of sacred song in
which we undoubtedly find solemnIty, reverence
and majesty never matched elsewhere. In churches
hymns might be rendered with IMPOSING effect
and even In the home circle their beauty will be
felt If they are rightly performed But they are
not TO be ratified of like the tunes of Moody and
Sankey. The editors Of devotional poetry are not
| always scrupuious about making changes, and The
one defect of Bishop Yoangs collection Is that 1t
cannot be regarded as authority for the text We
are frequently confronted with notice that
stanzas Of the original have been omitted or that
tranSlations have been altered.